Aix Cathedral or Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur d’Aix-en-Provence (Holy Savior Cathedral) is located in Aix-en-Provence in southern France. The Cathedral’s styles include Romanesque, Gothic and Neo-Gothic elements. As a national monument, the Cathedral is one of the most visited sites in Aix-en-Provence.

The white stone interior of the nave of the historic Aix Cathedral or Saint-Sauveur Cathedral (Holy Savior Cathedral).

The illuminated nave ceiling of Saint-Sauveur Cathedral in Aix-en-Provence in southern France.

A chandelier in Aix Cathedral or Saint-Sauveur Cathedral.

The octagonal dome of Aix Cathedral that sits over the baptistery, supported by eight Corinthian style columns.

The vaulted dome of the baptistery in the interior of Saint Sauveur Cathedral.

The dome and surrounding walls of the baptistery of Aix Cathedral, rebuilt during the Renaissance.

An interior view of the ceiling of the Aix Cathedral.

The green and gold organ inside Aix Cathedral.

The apse and altar inside Saint-Sauveur Cathedral.

A view of the stained glass windows from the interior of the gothic choir of Aix Cathedral.

A figure of Christ inside the prayer area in Aix Cathedral.

A stained glass window “The Triumph Of The Faith,” in the west facade of Aix Cathedral.

Notre-Dame de la Garde, translated as Our Lady of the Guard is a Catholic basilica located in the city of Marseille in France. The basilica is constructed in the Neo-Byzantine style and is on the highest point in Marseille, located on the south side of the Old Port of Marseille. The bell tower supports a statue of the Virgin Mary in bronze with gold leaf, who watches out for sailors, fisherman and the city of Marseille. As one of the most popular areas to visit in Marseille, Notre-Dame de la Garde provides a panoramic view of the city of Marseiile, Old Port, the Mediterranean, mountains and nearby islands.

The corner of Rue Joseph Cabassol and Rue Mazarine in Aix-en-Provence in Southern France.

Fontaine d’eau Thermale or Hot Water Fountain on the Cours Mirabeau at the end of Rue du 4 Septembre.

The facade of Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce or Registry of the Commercial Court on the Cours Mirabeau.

The wall behind Greffe du Tribunal de Commerce on Rue du 4 Septembre.

The sculpted stone porch to the entrance of the courtyard of the historic mansion, Hôtel de Caumont on Rue Joseph Cabassol.

A male mascaron on the left side of the stone porch entrance to the courtyard of the historic mansion, Hôtel de Caumont on Rue Joseph Cabassol.

A female mascaron on the right side of the stone porch entrance to the courtyard of the historic mansion, Hôtel de Caumont On Rue Joseph Cabassol.

The Art Nouveau style fountain at Place d’Albertas in Aix’s Old Town located on Rue Espariat.

A corner view of Fountain Place d’Albertas courtyard.

A view of the Fountain Place d’Albertas courtyard.

The Fountain Place d’Albertas courtyard.

A figure of the Virgin and Child on the corner of Place Richelme and Rue Maréchal Foch.

The farmers market in Aix-en-Provence during a nice autumn day.

Mairie d’Aix-en-Provence, city or town hall at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

Another view of Mairie d’Aix-en-Provence, city or town hall at Place de l’Hôtel de Ville.

An upward view of sycamore trees in the city of Aix-en-Provence in Southern France.

Place des Martyrs de la Resistance Monument or Resistance Memorial.

The Fontaine de la Rotonde is a historic fountain located on the Place de la Rotonde, located at the bottom of the Cours Mirabeau in the center of Aix-en-Provence.

Three sculptures of female figures at the top of Fountain de la Rotonde were sculpted by Joseph-Marius Ramus, Hippolyte Ferrat and Louis-Félix Chabaud. The figures represent Justice (toward Cours Mirabeau), Agriculture (toward Marseille) and the Fine Arts (toward Avignon).

During our short stay in Florida, we had all sorts of critters come to visit the backyard. There were many species of wild birds as well as eastern cottontails (Sylvilagus floridanus). On a more interesting note, we spotted several species of snakes, the most fascinating being the black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) and a couple of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus). Frequent visitors included the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and two bobcats (Lynx rufus). We had also set up a trail camera in one of the trees and we had caught an image of an armadillo (Cingulata) and some sort of an animal that we never identified, but it sort of looked like a raccoon. A more commonly known visitor in the area and familiar species to us from being up North, was the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). There were about three of these deer that would show up on a regular basis in the backyard.

We lived in a typical neighborhood of row houses and I wonder how many of these animals are able to thrive with their natural environments disappearing. The only one of the bunch that had lucked out so far, was the gopher tortoise. It lived on an empty lot across the street from us. This species of tortoise is protected and as long as it stays there, the empty lot won’t be able to be developed.

Here are just a few photographs of the white-tailed deer that came to the backyard.

The white-tailed deer is also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer.

The white-tailed deer is in the family (Cervidae), which is the deer family and the order (Artiodactyla), which consists of hoofed animals with an even number of toes.

There are two main deer species in North America, The white-tailed deer and the mule deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Within the species of mule Deer, is the subspecies called the black-tailed deer.

In North America, the white-tailed deer is a widely distributed ungulate (hoofed animal) east of the Rocky Mountains.

The white-tailed deer can measure 3 to 3.5 feet high at shoulder length and weigh from 50 to 400 pounds. They molt twice a year and their coats are a reddish-brown in the spring and summer and turns to a grey-brown throughout the fall and winter. Fawns molt slight later than the adults during the fall, when they lose their spotted coats. The White-tailed deer can also be recognized by its white underside to its tail. Female deer are called does, males are bucks and newborns are called fawns. Bucks shed their antlers each year during the late winter after the mating season is over. Their antlers will grow back usually around April.

White-tailed deer are mostly herbivores and eat large quantities of vegetation at dusk and dawn. Their diets will vary according to season and food availability. During the summer they will feed on grasses, leaves, weeds, wildflowers, shrubs, vines and trees. In the fall, deer will take advantage of the abundance of of fruits and nuts, such as apples and acorns. The winter is the most difficult time for deer and they will mostly feed on the twigs and bark of woody plants like maple and oak and evergreens, such as cedar, hemlock and pine.

The white-tailed deer is a ruminant, which means it has a four-chambered stomach. The stomach is divided into four chambers, called the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. Each chamber has a different and specific function and this type of digestive system allows the deer to gather and chew their food very quickly and seek cover as soon as possible. The deer then regurgitate their food into their mouths a small amount at a time and rechew it. This practice is known as chewing their cuds. This behavior minimizes their exposure to predation.

White-tailed deer are very nervous and shy by nature and will wave their tails from side to side when they are startled and fleeing. They will typically respond to the presence of potential predators by breathing very heavily and fleeing from danger.

Adult bucks and does generally lead separate lives throughout the year. In September, bucks begin to establish dominance hierarchies so that they can mate with does when they are in estrus. For the rest of the year, bucks will live in small groups with other bucks and does will live in small groups with other does, yearling and fawns.

The white-tailed deer mating season can occur from October through January and in the north, mostly in November. Gestation takes about 200 days and a doe’s first birth usually produces a single fawn and successive years twins and occasionally triplets.

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park is located near Palm Coast, Florida. The park is known for its beautiful formal gardens and wildlife. Visitors will find areas for enjoying the beaches, bicycling, fishing, hiking, picnicking and viewing wildlife.

While we were living in Florida, this gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) lived in one of the empty lots across the street. It would come over to our side of the street and eat the grass. As long as it lives in the lot across the street, it won’t be able to be built on. In Florida, the gopher tortoise is listed as a threatened species. Both the tortoise and its burrow are protected under the state law. Gopher tortoises must be relocated before any land clearing or development takes place and property owners must obtain permits from the FWC before capturing and relocating these tortoises.

The gopher tortoise is a threatened and protected wildlife species found exclusively in the southeastern part of the United States.

The solitary gopher tortoise prefers to live in dry places with soil that is loose enough for maintaining its retreat burrow.

The bulk of food that the gopher tortoise consumes consists of grasses and leaves, as well as fruits and berries.

Gopher tortoises are herbivore scavengers and use their sharp-edged and beak-like mouths for shearing and tearing vegetation with ease.

The carapace, that covers the soft body of the gopher tortoise is made up if fused and ridged plates. Each plate represents a year’s growth.

The gopher tortoise is a rapid and powerful digger similar to the gopher (Geomyidae) from which it gets its name.